Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-29
DAILY HERALD.
LET THERE BE LIGHT.
Hornessing Lightning to
the Car of Progress.
A GREAT WATER POWER.
Electric Lights and Street Cars
for the Lower End of
the County.

Sometime ago the announcement
was made that an electric mast haC
been erected at Burue Point, nov
called Olive Heights, that dynamo
had been put in there and that ele
waited point lighted by the electric
clrrent. 1t was announced at the
same time that the intention was tc
extend this system of lighting to al
that portion of the valley. The fac
which suggested such a scheme was
the existence at that point of one o
the finest waterpowers in the country
The Santa Ana ditch used for irriga
tion purposes in the valley below is
taken out of the river pretty well uI
the Santiago canon, and car
ried down the sides of the
hills for some miles until a
Burruel Point the water plunges at
once over bold brow into the valley
This causes very considerable fall
of very large body of water. 1t is
we'll known that for years the power
thus generated has been used to turn
a grist mill at the Point. The mill
uses only a very small part of the
power made by the fall of the water.
1t is now proposed, as stated, to use
this in lighting the whole of that end
of the valley by electricity.
THE SCHEME.
Olive Heights, where the fall is,
lies in the upper end of fan-shaped
region, already thickly settled,
and more the seat of a dense and
wealthy people. The Heights is a
new town, through which runs the
new line of the California Central
Railway from Riverside to San Diego.
Above it lies Yorba, in the canon.
Below is first st. James, another new
town on the same line, which will
soon be fact, rather than poten-
tiality. Then comes Orange, and
then Santa Ana, and Tustin, and by
and by Modjeska will loom up, busy
city of the plain. Santa Ana is
already a large place, rapidly grow
ing; Orange is very handsome and
progressive colony, and Tustin is a
very bower of Paradise. West
of the point where the power is devel-
oped, and only few miles distant is
Anaheim, another large town of con-
siderable business, and one that is
steadily being materially added to.
This is fianked by Fairview on one
side, and by North Anaheim, and
Fullerton on the other. There are
perhaps Il, 1000 to 1900 people in this
scope of country; and none of it is
over six or seven miles from the water
fall. There, as it will appear, is not
the slightest difficulty in setting up a
plant at the point indicated which
will generate plenty of light for all the
points in that part ofthe valley. For the
present single mast of three lamps
each of 5000 candle power or 5000 in
all will be ample for all purposes at
this point. The same is quite true OF
st. James. Orange should perhaps
have two masts, each of say 5000 can
die power, and Santa Ana would need
two of 5000 each. Tustin will do with
one mast until she extends her bOr-
ders. At Anaheim it would be well
to put up three masts OF say 5000 can
dies each.
Were this plan carried out that
end of the valley would
have one of the greatest attractions in
Southern California. From Anaheim
now one can see from the upper win
dows of houses the electric lights on
the tops of the hills in Los Angeles
twenty-five miles distant. Were
these lamps set aglow the south end
of the valley would glitter like starry
crown. This is known to be the
plan in the mind of those
who now own the fall, and there
is no doubt that it will be carried out
at an early day.
STREET CARS.
Nor is the above the only use to
which this fine power may be put.
The light is only needed at night, and
all day long the water would run to
waste, as it does now all the time. To
use the power during the day
time, it is proposed to make a
fine system of street railroads
through and between the towns named
above, to be propelled by electricity
generated as is the light. Thus the
waterfall can be made use OF all the
hours of the twenty-four. Where
there is no need of the line passing
from one town to the others as in the
case of Anaheim which will soon
have two railways from her doors to
Santa Ana, ETC., the power could
be transmitted to run the cars within
her own limits. This is really fine
scheme and one which is sure to be
ou.,Io;4oI ,t a ,rorxr onrl,r dau